For Love of a Family
by icicle33
Summary: A series of attacks by a group of neo-Death Eaters causes the Ministry to implement a new set of restrictions on former Death Eaters and their children. When Scorpius falls ill, Draco decides that he will do anything to save his son, even if it means marrying Harry Potter. Post-War AU. Pairing: Harry/Draco Features: Healers Draco and Harry, swot!draco, single father Draco, flangst.
1. The Arrangement

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any part of the HP universe. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made from this fic. All characters that are depicted in sexual situations are adults. Please do not sue me.

* * *

**Title:** _For Love of a Family_

**Author:** icicle33

**Pairings:** Harry/Draco, background Ron/Hermione, past Harry/Ginny, past Draco/Astoria

**Rating:** T for now but will be changed to M eventually.

**Word Count:** 30-40K in all (2700 for this chapter)

**Genre:** Angst, Romance, Hurt/comfort

**Warnings:** Post-War AU, Unsavoury Ministry politics and propaganda, faked marriage,** non-linear storytelling**, sexual content, minor character deaths (occurs before the start of the story), some invented science and magical theory (Harry and Draco are Healers). Sort of EWE. Draco and Astoria got married and had Scorpius, but Ginny and Harry never married. In this universe, Harry always liked boys. ; )

**Summary:**_ A series of attacks by a group of neo-Death Eaters causes the Ministry to implement a new set of restrictions on former Death Eaters and their children. When Scorpius falls ill, Draco decides that he will do anything to save his son, even if it means marrying Harry Potter._

**Author's note:** This fic was a labour of love that was written for the final HD Holidays fest. The lovely **rurounihime**, who is such an amazing writer (check out her fics on AO3, lj , and skyhawke if you haven't), requested a H/D fic with Harry and Draco working together and a faked marriage. Usually, faked or forced marriage fics aren't my cup of tea because the reason for the marriage always seems improbable and out of nowhere, so I racked my brain for hours, trying to come up with a believable reason as to why Harry and Draco would willingly enter into a fake marriage. This fic is the result of many hours of brainstorm and obscene amounts of caffeine. I need to thank** drarrylover**, **ashiiblack**, **pinklemonade**, and **writcraft** for being the best betas and cheerleaders a girl could have. I hope everyone enjoys this fic that is very close to my heart.

* * *

**For Love of a Family**

**x x x**

"_There's no vocabulary For love within a family, love that's lived in But not looked at, love within the light of which All else is seen, the love within which All other love finds speech. This love is silent._"

—TS Eliot

* * *

**::1::**

A loud bang echoed through the room, drumming against Harry's ears and rousing him from sleep. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and sat up in bed, reaching to the nearby night table for his glasses. Normally, he liked to sleep in on a Saturday, but Draco had other ideas. He took in his surroundings and sighed. The left side of the bed, Draco's side, was untouched. Last night, Harry had tucked himself into bed and not disturbed the other half. It wasn't unusual for Draco to rise obscenely early on the weekends. Harry was certain that Draco was a masochist and perhaps even a touch insane. He had suspected that Draco would sleep on the couch again and avoid him. As much as he hoped to be wrong, the proof stared him in the face.

Harry shook his head and dragged himself out of bed, brushing his hand against the cool side of the bed, wishing it were warm. Harry knew that his relationship with Draco wasn't real—that it was a farce for the Ministry's sake. But that didn't make his feelings any less real. His heart clenched every time he noticed how far Draco continued to pull away. Apparently, just the thought of having to share a bed with Harry repulsed him.

He made the bed, straightening out the sheets in the way that Draco had showed him, and then stood up straight, reaching his arms behind his back and stretching. Although Draco's bed was one of the most comfortable beds he'd slept in ages, if not ever, he wasn't used to sleeping on such a soft mattress. Sometimes, his back muscles protested. Perhaps it was from stress.

After alleviating his aching back, Harry put on his slippers and examined his appearance in the full-length mirror. For a bloke who claimed he didn't have time to care about his appearance anymore, Draco seemed to have a mirror in every room of his house. Frowning, Harry ran a hand through his sleep-tousled hair and tried to flatten it. Half of his hair was standing on end as if he had rubbed a giant balloon against it. His fussing with it only seemed to make it stand up more.

He shrugged; his hair was less than cooperative after a long shower and Draco's special conditioning treatments. In the morning, his hair appeared to be as grumpy he was._ Oh well_, Harry thought, _it's not like Draco even wants to be in the same room with me. It's doubtful he'll even notice my hair._

**: : :**

"Potter? Is that you? Get your arse in here."

Harry yawned. With his hands rumpled in his dressing gown, he shuffled down the hallway and toward the living room where Draco was waiting for him.

"What?" He stifled another yawn. "Why are you yelling at this god forsaken hour?"

Draco blanched. "Are you kidding me, Potter? It's 8.35!" He widened his eyes and cupped his hands behind his neck, elbows pointing outward. "Don't tell me you forgot what day it is?"

Harry sighed. He did not want to argue with Draco so early in the morning, especially since arguing was all they did lately. Sure, Harry knew this marriage of theirs wasn't real—that it was two adults and a child playing house—but a part of him had hoped that they would grow closer and not bicker at each other's throats like children.

"Of course, I haven't forgotten," he said, keeping his voice even. "That lady from the Ministry is coming today for an inspection."

Draco threw his hands in the air. "A lady? You mean Agent Rebecca Summers, Head of the Department of Family and Social affairs."

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, that's the one. The social worker." He ignored Draco's dirty look and sat himself on the couch. "The meeting isn't until 11. We have plenty of time. Why don't you relax? It won't kill you."

"I don't want to relax, Potter! You've been no bloody help at all."

Harry bit down on his lip and regarded Draco closely. Draco had always been attractive. Even when he was the biggest prat to walk the planet back at Hogwarts, he was still a gorgeous annoying prat. He had always been immaculate and fastidious about his appearance, always put together without a hair out of place.

In the past few years, Draco lost some of that fastidiousness, at least when it came to clothing, preferring to dress for comfort rather than fashion. He claimed that single fathers and Healers had more pressing matters to deal with than keeping up with the latest fashion trends. Usually, he strolled around in his oversized Healer's robes, and if not, he seemed to adapt a more casual style of jeans and a jumper.

Harry loved this more down to earth and simplified Draco. But he might have to eat his words.

This morning, Draco dressed in a grey striped button-down shirt and a fitted pair of black trousers. A crimson red tie hung around his neck, and his chin length hair that he usually kept tied behind his neck fell in loose layers around his face, softening his angular features. He was breathtaking. Without realising it, Harry must have opened his mouth, causing Draco to narrow his eyes and scowl.

"Not one word about my tie, Potter."

The intensity in Draco's glare disturbed him. That look was too familiar. It brought him back to their school days when Harry found himself on the wrong side of Malfoy's wand more times than he'd like to admit.

"I wasn't," Harry lied. "I didn't even notice." He offered Draco an innocent smile. "I think you look nice." Nice was an understatement. The truth was Harry wanted to bend Draco over the couch and fuck him right there. He couldn't actually say that. But damn, did Draco look good in red.

Draco softened his glare but still regarded Harry coolly, as if he were deciding whether Harry was joking or not. "Thank you," he said, after several seconds.

"You're welcome." Harry continued to stare at Draco, smile on his face, until he noticed a faint shade of pink spread down Draco's cheeks. For someone so gorgeous, Draco didn't know how to take a compliment.

As he widened his smile, Draco turned away from him, and Harry felt saddened by the loss of contact. That short conversation about Draco's tie was the most civil conversation they'd had in days. Even though he looked delectable in his outfit, Harry knew that Draco was stressed. Dark shadows hung under his eyes, which were bloodshot and heavy-lidded. Harry wondered if he had slept at all.

"What time did you get up?" Harry asked, trying to keep the concern out of his voice.

The scowl returned to Draco's face, his lips pressed into a thin line and his brow creased. "At six, Potter," he snapped. "I apologise for disturbing your beauty sleep, but today is a rather important day for some of us. Not all of us can rely on our—" he puckered his lips and stared at Harry as if deciding what type of insult he wanted to spew, "_charm_, to get us through life."

"Right." Harry fidgeted with the string on his pyjama bottoms. "You could have woken me up. I wouldn't have minded."

Draco snorted. "Oh yes, you're such a morning person, Potter. Spare me."

Harry blushed. "Well, no, but I still would have got up. For-for Scorpius."

Draco blinked and looked away. "Well, you better get ready then before the little monster comes storming in here and sees you. You only have—"

"Three bloody hours to get ready. How will I ever manage?" Harry attempted to raise an eyebrow and smirk, mocking Draco with his favourite expression.

Draco was not impressed. "Stop that." He sniffed. "You look ridiculous. Now go get dressed. I've already picked out your outfit. It's hanging on the back door of the closet."

Harry raised an eyebrow again.

"What? You actually think I'm going to trust you with something this important, Potter."

Harry frowned but didn't respond.

"Besides, if this is supposed to be real, no bloody husband of mine would ever be caught dead in," he wrinkled his nose in disgust and gestured at Harry's outfit, "whatever that is. Now, go and change."

Harry opened his mouth to protest. Really, Draco had no business criticising his choice of pyjamas not when Harry had seen him sleep in an oversized tee shirt that said "Number 1 Dad" just days earlier. Then he noticed the deep creases in Draco's brow, the worry lines that were starting to etch themselves into his forehead. Draco was too young for those lines. He had an over abundance of stress in his life. It wasn't fair for Harry to add to it.

"Fine." Harry grumbled, avoiding Draco's eyes. "But first I'm going to need some coffee."

**: : :**

Three extremely weak cups of coffee later, Harry found himself back in what he was starting to think of as his bedroom since Draco never seemed to sleep there. His head still throbbed from all the orders Draco had barked at him, but he decided to let his aggravation slide, believing that Draco was just concerned about his son. Harry was about to plop down on the bed for a quick rest when he realised that there was a large bump underneath the covers that hadn't been there earlier. He was certain that the bump was indeed a miniature Malfoy since it was round and squirming, yet he decided to play along for Scorpius' sake.

"What do we have here?" Harry asked, clearly amused. He scooted to the end of the bed and poked the lump with his index finger. "I have no idea what that could be. But it sure is squishy." He gave the child-shaped lump another poke. "And warm. I hope it's not a monster." He bit down on the corner of lip to fight back his smile.

A few moments earlier, he had been in a foul mood, but Scorpius always found a way to put a smile on his face. "Especially not a _ferocious_ one."

He pulled back the covers and then let out a high-pitched screech when Scorpius jumped out and attacked him. Harry made a fuss of falling on the bed and letting Scorpius think he frightened him. "Oh, no," he cried, "please don't hurt me, scary monster."

"Rooarr!" Scorpius could not manage a complete growl as he collapsed into a fit of giggles.

"Ahh!" Harry attempted to hide his grin by covering his face with his hands. "What kind of monster are you anyway?"

"Tickle monster!" With a loud thud, Scorpius jumped on top of Harry's chest, knocking the wind out of him and starting tickling him furiously, starting at his sides and working his way up to his chest.

"Stop, stop!" Harry failed to escape Scorpius' tickle attack and instead dissolved into his own fit of giggles.

"No!" Scorpius pouted. "Not until you surwender."

Harry grinned. The boy was too adorable for his own good. He was brilliant for a five-year-old, but sometimes when he became too excited, he had problems pronouncing certain words, especially ones with double consonants. "I surrender, I surrender."

After stealing a few extra giggles out of Harry, Scorpius stopped tickling him and then crawled up further into Harry's chest, wrapping his arms around Harry's neck and cuddling his face into his chest. Harry looked down at the small boy and sighed contentedly. He stroked the pale white-blond hair out of his face, which was so much like Draco's, and smiled. No matter how much Draco frustrated him, whenever Harry looked at Scorpius – or worse yet – when he snuggled into his chest like this – Harry could not regret his decision to take part in this fake marriage. This so-called marriage might be hard on Harry's delicate ego, but this wasn't about him. It was for Scorpius.

Harry would do just about anything for this little boy, who had won him over since the first time they met. Scorpius Malfoy might look like a miniature Malfoy clone, but he hadn't inherited the Malfoy sullen disposition since he was such a sweet and loving child, who always had a smile on his face. Harry liked to tease Draco that since Scorpius inherited all of his father's physical traits then he must have inherited his personality from his mother. As expected, Draco did not find the joke amusing and claimed that he had directly influenced all of Scorpius' best qualities.

Although Harry agreed, he would never admit it to Draco. The git's head was already big enough. Still, the man Draco was today – a brilliant father and compassionate Healer – was worlds away from the smarmy pointy-faced git he had been at Hogwarts. It made Harry wonder what had happened in Draco's childhood to cause such a drastic change. Perhaps Draco had also been a sweet and loving boy. Either way, staring into Malfoy silvery grey eyes made Harry's heart flutter and his head spin. It was sobering that at least one pair of those eyes didn't flinch away and regarded him with wide, adoring eyes.

"Love you," Scorpius whispered into his chest.

"Love you too," Harry replied, still stroking Scorpius' soft hair. The words just slipped out of his mouth, but they were true. Even if Scorpius had only been in his life for a few short months, he loved this little boy with all his heart. It wasn't fair that Scorpius was sick, and it was unreasonable that he was treated like a second class citizen only because of his parentage.

For months now, the new Ministry AV, had been passing unreasonable laws against former Death Eaters. They had once again taken things too far by no longer allowing Death Eaters or any of their immediate family members to be treated at St Mungo's. Luckily, Harry had found a loophole around the law. Since he didn't have an heir, if Draco and him married and he legally claimed Scorpius as his heir, Scorpius would no longer be subjected to the unfairness of these laws. In the Ministry's eyes, continuing the Potter line was more important than punishing a former Death Eater. No matter what happened with Draco, Harry knew that he would make sure that no harm came to this precious child.

Things had not always been so complicated. Harry could still remember a time before these two Malfoys had squirmed their way into his life, before they had stolen his heart. Six months earlier, Harry hadn't been in contact with any Malfoys for years. Sure, he assumed that Malfoy was still alive somewhere. He figured that he would have heard if he died or something.

And Malfoy wouldn't bugger off and die. There were so many people that he still had to annoy. Harry was certain that the universe would never allow it.

**To Be continued...**

* * *

**Author's note:** Thank you so much for reading. I welcome and appreciate any comments, critiques, advice, etc you would like to offer me. If you are a bit confused as to what's going on, I promise that all will be answered. Eventually. As I mentioned in the warnings, this entire fic is being told non-linearly, so the events of the story will be out of order. This first scene is the middle of the story and the next one will go back to the beginning. If you have any questions, let me know and as long as it doesn't give away a major plot point, I will answer them.

Comments are love.

~Icicle

* * *

**Other fic news:**

1) I'm still currently working on the revised smutty ending for **The Secret Life of Draco Malfoy**. Hopefully that will be up soon.

2) I have posted another new fic called **Truly Loyal**(co-written with Ashiiblack) that hasn't gotten any love. At all. It's a rarer pairing Lucius/James, but if you like Harry/Draco and all their bantering, I'm certain you'll enjoy it. If you have some time on your hands, I'd be appreciative if you could give it a chance.

3) My first long Glee fic (Kurt/Blaine) is almost ready to be posted and will be up in a few days.

4) **You Set Fire to the Rain** is not abandoned. It's on a short break until I find motivation to write it, but I promise that sometime in the next month or so it will be updated.

5) I'm always available by pm if you have any questions about any of my fics.


	2. The Lunch Date

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any part of the HP universe. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made from this fic. All characters that are depicted in sexual situations are adults. Please do not sue me.

* * *

**Title:** _For Love of a Family_

**Author:** icicle33

**Pairings:** Harry/Draco, background Ron/Hermione, past Harry/Ginny, past Draco/Astoria

**Rating:** T for now but will be changed to M eventually.

**Word Count:** 30-40K in all (2000 for this chapter)

**Genre:** Angst, Romance, Hurt/comfort

**Warnings:** Post-War AU, Unsavoury Ministry politics and propaganda, faked marriage,** non-linear storytelling**, sexual content, minor character deaths (occurs before the start of the story), some invented science and magical theory (Harry and Draco are Healers). Sort of EWE. Draco and Astoria got married and had Scorpius, but Ginny and Harry never married. In this universe, Harry always liked boys. ; )

**Summary:**_ A series of attacks by a group of neo-Death Eaters causes the Ministry to implement a new set of restrictions on former Death Eaters and their children. When Scorpius falls ill, Draco decides that he will do anything to save his son, even if it means marrying Harry Potter._

**Author's note:** Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter. This fic was a labour of love that was written for the final HD Holidays fest. The lovely **rurounihime**, who is such an amazing writer (check out her fics on AO3, lj , and skyhawke if you haven't), requested a H/D fic with Harry and Draco working together and a faked marriage. Usually, faked or forced marriage fics aren't my cup of tea because the reason for the marriage always seems improbable and out of nowhere, so I racked my brain for hours, trying to come up with a believable reason as to why Harry and Draco would willingly enter into a fake marriage. This fic is the result of many hours of brainstorm and obscene amounts of caffeine. I need to thank** drarrylover**, **ashiiblack**, **pinklemonade**, and **writcraft** for being the best betas and cheerleaders a girl could have. I hope everyone enjoys this fic that is very close to my heart.

* * *

**::2::**

_**6 months earlier...**_

Harry walked down the street, keeping his head glued to the pavement in front of him. It was a stupid habit. For the most part, people left him in peace now, but for the longest time he couldn't even walk the streets without getting mobbed. He had realised early on that if he didn't make eye contact with people, they were less likely to come up and bother him. Besides, he knew exactly what types of people he was avoiding and he didn't want to be late for his lunch date with Hermione.

It seemed that wherever he went there were couples of all sorts: young, old, gay, and straight. Everyone in the entire universe seemed to have a partner except for Harry. And it was awful. Harry believed that the universe willed every overly sentimental couple in the wizarding world to flaunt their happiness in front of him, to remind him that he would never find someone, and that he would never have _that_.

Harry sighed, much louder than necessary and continued walking, hands in his pockets and head still facing the ground. A child next to him caught his eyes, laughing and counting the cracks in the pavement. He was innocent and free. Harry wondered if he had ever been like that. Probably not. The Durselys never would have allowed it.

Children were another sore spot for him. For as long as Harry remembered, he dreamt of having a family. As a child, he would wrap his arms around chest at night and wish that his parents weren't dead, hoping they would show up one day and take him away from his awful aunt and uncle. When he was older, he realised his childish fantasies would never come true, so he instead focused on future daydreams of marrying a beautiful redheaded witch like his mother and starting a large family. Harry knew that it wasn't normal for young boys to dream about marriage and children. He wasn't a witch, but he longed for it with all of his heart.

Until he realised he was gay.

Several years ago, he came to terms with his sexuality. Being gay was not a big deal in the wizarding world, but it still shattered his dream of being a father and having a large family. As much as it pained him, he would have to settle for being Uncle Harry and never having a real family of his own.

Finally, the small cafe, Harry's Place, came into view. Even though it was a Muggle cafe, the name irked him. He supposed that Hermione had chosen the location out of spite since she was still on his case to find a new job.

Harry walked straight through the entrance and into the back patio, nodding politely at all the people around him. When a couple of blokes gave him strange looks, Harry cringed. How silly of him. He had forgot that this was a Muggle establishment. They didn't know him. He was just Harry, a complete stranger, creeping out the customers. No wonder they were giving him dirty looks.

He shook his head. No matter. All Harry wanted was to feel like he fit in somewhere. He was tired of being stuck between the worlds, having one foot in the Muggle world and one in the wizarding world. No matter where he went he was still a freak. He closed his eyes and tried to banish all the negative thoughts from his mind. If not, Hermione would start pestering him to see a Mind Healer.

It was easy to find Hermione. Although she usually tamed her hair for work, since today was her day off, she was wearing her hair loose, wild strands noticeable even from a distance. Hermione hated her hair; she said it was untameable and made her look unprofessional. Harry disagreed. He thought it gave her character. Made her beautiful. Unique. Different from the other girls, Harry saw walking around with pin straight hair and oversized sunglasses.

"Harry, hi." Hermione greeted him with a smile and motioned for him to sit down. He returned her greeting and offered her a kiss on the cheek.

"Nice place," Harry said, turning his head and taking in the small but cosy cafe. Harry placed his jacket on the back of his chair and sat down, grateful that Hermione had requested a corner table. She knew him too well.

"Thanks. I knew you would like it."

Harry frowned. "Well, I wasn't crazy about the name, but I guess you can't have everything."

Hermione laughed, tilting her head back and swaying her long curls off her shoulders. "What, you don't like it?" She pursed her lips. "Harry is such a charming name, don't you think?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes, it is royalty and all."

Hermione laughed again, this time more of a high-pitched giggle. "Absolutely."

He had missed her. It had been three weeks since he had last seen Hermione. He would deny it to his grave, but he had been avoiding her. Usually, that made Hermione less than pleasant to be around, so he was glad that he had caught her in such a light-hearted mood. It was nice to relax and have lunch with his friend. It felt like old times before all this Ministry craziness had started.

"So how have you been?" Hermione pursed her lips again, puckering them into a sour expression. "I know you've been busy. How's the job search coming?"

Harry gulped. Damn, it appeared his reprieve was short-lived. She was just going to jump into the interrogation. She caught him off guard. This must have been her master plan all along.

"It's fine." Harry took a sip of his glass of water and avoided her eyes. "You know, it's a tough market. And I've sort of been banned from any Ministry jobs after my little incident with Robards."

Hermione frowned.

"Yes?" Harry put down his water and looked up, meeting her eyes. He tried to give her his most innocent look. It was hard to fool Hermione, but he was going try anyway. "Didn't you have some big news for me?" Harry smiled. "We always talk about me. I want to hear about _you_."

Hermione looked him over dubiously. "I do have news." Her frown disappeared and a small smile crept onto the corners of her mouth again. "I probably shouldn't be telling you this because Ron wanted to tell everyone on Sunday at the Burrow together, but since you've mysteriously missed the last three dinners..."

Harry dropped the fork he had been fiddling with in his hand. "What is it?"

Hermione leant over and grabbed his hand. She gave it two squeezes. "I'm pregnant!"

Harry blinked. "Pregnant?"

"It's a little earlier than expected." Hermione removed her hand from his and looked away bashfully. "An entire year off the plan but..."

"Screw the plan, Hermione. It's brilliant!"

Hermione's face lit up, embarrassment fading away. "I'm so glad because Ron and I want you to be godfather."

Harry blanched; his heart lurched to the back of his throat. Ron and Hermione were having a child. They wanted him to be a godfather. Again. Memories of Teddy flashed through his mind. His adorable godson, who had been cruelly taken from his aunt's care and disposed of with all the other children of dangerous Dark breeds by the new Ministry without Harry's knowledge. Harry already wasn't fond of the new Ministry's oppressive regime. He quit on the spot but not before destroying his Robard's office.

The idea of Ron and Hermione having children stirred irrational jealousy in his gut. It wasn't their fault that Harry would never be a father. Deep down, he was happy for them. Ron and Hermione deserved it, but asking him to be godfather was like a slap in the face. Teddy was just another one of his failures, another loved one he hadn't been able to save. He hadn't thought about Teddy in months, not since he started taking Dreamless Sleep every night to hep with the nightmares. Being a godfather again, when he had screwed up so spectacularly the first time, was out of the question.

"Harry, say something."

Harry pushed his chair back and stood from the table. "I'm sorry. I can't. I need to leave—"

Hermione pulled on his arm. "Harry, wait, don't go. I didn't mean to upset you. I just didn't want you to hear the news from someone else."

Harry shook his head. "I'm fine. I just forgot I have somewhere to be."

"Please stay. I have a new career idea for you. I think you'll really like this one."

Harry jerked his arm out of her grip. "No thanks. I'm keeping my options open."

"Harry, you promised." Hermione's voice was soft, eyes pained. "You have nothing else to do. You just sit around all day feeling sorry for yourself. It's been over six months since you quit the Aurors. That's more than enough wallowing. It's time for you to do something substantial with your life. Do you really just want to waste away in that awful house like Sirius did? You know what happens when you spend too much time locked up."

Harry started feeling dizzy. He hated when Hermione made him feel guilty. "Whatever you want. Just send me an owl. I really do need to go."

She beamed at him. "It's perfect for you. With your saving people thing."

"I don't have a saving people thing."

Hermione snorted. "Congratulations, you've been accepted in the new Healer-in-Training programme. First year. I already put down your first term tuition."

"Hermione, you're mad. Absolutely not. I hate school."

"You did ask for a book on Healing the last time we chatted. Think of it as a more hands on experience. You can never go wrong with knowledge, Harry." She shrugged. "Besides, it's non-refundable."

**To be continued...**

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you so much for reading. If you have any questions, let me know. I appreciate the number of readers that have followed this story so far and would love to hear any comments or advice. Another update will happen this weekend.

Comments are love.

~Icicle


	3. Professor Edwards

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any part of the HP universe. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made from this fic. All characters that are depicted in sexual situations are adults. Please do not sue me.

* * *

**Title:** _For Love of a Family_

**Author:** icicle33

**Pairings:** Harry/Draco, background Ron/Hermione, past Harry/Ginny, past Draco/Astoria

**Rating:** T for now but will be changed to M eventually.

**Word Count:** 30-40K in all (2000 for this chapter)

**Genre:** Angst, Romance, Hurt/comfort

**Warnings:** Post-War AU, Unsavoury Ministry politics and propaganda, faked marriage,** non-linear storytelling**, sexual content, minor character deaths (occurs before the start of the story), some invented science and magical theory (Harry and Draco are Healers). Sort of EWE. Draco and Astoria got married and had Scorpius, but Ginny and Harry never married. In this universe, Harry always liked boys. ; )

**Summary:**_ A series of attacks by a group of neo-Death Eaters causes the Ministry to implement a new set of restrictions on former Death Eaters and their children. When Scorpius falls ill, Draco decides that he will do anything to save his son, even if it means marrying Harry Potter._

**Author's note:** Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. This chapter is about Harry's first day in Healing School. I wanted to make it as realistic as possible, so I hope you don't mind the little bit of science and magical theory that I included. As always, any and all feedback is encouraged. I always try my best to answer all reviews.

Enjoy.

* * *

**:: 3 ::**

The classroom was not as intimidating as Harry had imagined. It was a simple room with rows of wooden desks, a blackboard, and squeaky chairs. Harry didn't know what he had been picturing, perhaps a torture chamber of some sorts. This room was so utterly normal, however, that he sighed in relief as he settled into his desk.

Hermione advised him to sit in the front row, so he would be forced to focus on the lesson at all times. Harry had assured her that he would. He wanted to make a good impression on his new professor, but as soon as he entered the empty classroom, all thoughts of sitting in the front row fled his mind.

When Hermione signed him up for this first year Healer-in-Training programme, she failed to mention that modules had started three weeks earlier. He was already so far behind. If he knew that detail, he never would have agreed, which was why she had not told him in the first place. His best friend was not only book smart; she had a wicked devious streak that no one would ever believe.

Even if it was years after the war, Harry hated using his name to gain favours. He couldn't even imagine what rules and school regulations Hermione must have broken to get him enrolled in the Healer Training programme so late. This wasn't the manner Harry liked to do things, but since he was already there, he might as well make the best of it.

Against his better judgement, he took a seat in the third row, right in the middle and unpacked his things. He was twenty minutes early for his first lecture. An Introduction to Magical Biology and Healing. Of all his modules, he assumed this one would be the easiest. It was a new module that was taught by Dr Franklin Edwards, who was both a certified Healer and Muggle doctor. The course objectives stated that Dr Edwards had revolutionised Modern Magical Healing and Therapy by incorporating Muggle medical techniques and improving them with magic. This module would not only teach about the human body, in the way that Muggles would learn, but also explain how magic affected all the body's biological systems.

When Harry had attended Muggle primary school, he never paid much attention during science lessons. However, he assumed that he understood the Muggle world and Muggle science more so than the average witch or wizard. This module should be easy. At least there was no clinical lab work like in his other core subjects.

Oh, how wrong he was.

Once Harry organised his desk—neatly stacked parchment, extra ink for his quill, and easy access to his textbook—the desks around him had become occupied. Hushed whispers and accusations filled his ears, so Harry kept his head down, pretending not to notice that the other students were talking about him. God, how he hated Hermione. Being the new student in a class was hard enough, but being Harry Potter, Saviour of the wizarding world, whether or not he wanted to accept the title, was mortifying.

He could feel every set of eyes in the room boring into the back of his head. He was certain that his entire face was burning as red as Ron's hair, but he tried his best to remain calm. Hopefully, the professor would be there soon. Harry had never been so desperate for a lecture to start in his life.

Finally, after snapping two quills in half, the professor made his way to the front of class. Harry dropped his last quill and looked up at his new professor, a wide, stupid grin on his face.

"Good morning, class," Professor Edwards said, bowing his head in greeting.

"Good morning, Healer Edwards," the class grumbled in reply.

Professor Edwards was not what Harry expected. He was a short middle-aged man with a sour face, beady black eyes, and a crooked smile. He had dark hair that was visibly thinning at the sides and a wide, shiny forehead. He dressed in lime green Healer robes, which had seen better days from the fringe noticeable at the sleeves and was stretched tight around his paunchy stomach. A set of eyeglasses hung around his neck and he wore his wand in a leather harness on his belt. When he eyed Harry, the crooked smile disappeared.

"Ah, Mr Potter, you _actually_ made it."

Harry gulped. There was something disarming about the way this man looked at him—as if he were reading his mind.

"Yes, sir," Harry answered, the uncertainty in his voice making him cringe.

"I wasn't sure you would be attending today." Edwards pursed his lips. "When my assistant informed me that I was getting a new student, I couldn't quite fathom it. I informed Elizabeth that she must have been mistaken. It is not our policy to accept late students, regardless of _merits_."

He narrowed his eyes and then looked Harry up and down.

Harry's pulse quickened. He had only known this professor for all of two minutes and already the man despised him. So much for special treatment. No one had looked at him with such contempt since Snape. Bloody fucking Hell.

"I'm sorry, sir." Harry bit his lip and tried to look as solemn as possible.

Professor Edwards ignored his apology.

"The art of Healing takes a certain skill and dedication. Most of you in this room will not last the term. You cannot complete Year 1 without passing this module."

Professor Edward's lips curled into a sneer and Harry felt his heavy breakfast slosh around his stomach.

"A few of you," he nodded to the two girls, who sat in the front row and stared at him adoringly, "will have what it takes and my lessons will open doors for you. However, I expect complete dedication and motivation from my students." He turned away from the blonde girls and locked eyes with Harry again. "We have _never_ accepted a student in the Healer programme after the programme has commenced."

Harry gulped again. _Here it comes_, he thought, _he's going to ask me to leave the classroom. This must be a record._ He hadn't even made it through his first module of the day and he was already being dismissed.

"Imagine my surprise, when former Minister Shacklebolt asked me to make an exception."

Edwards' eyes were burning into Harry now, smouldering and fierce. Harry matched Edwards' glare, refusing to back down. His stomach was doing flip-flops that he hoped the rest of the class could not hear. Sitting with the entire class gawking at him made him feel as if he were that same eleven-year-old boy in Snape's dungeon. It was humiliating.

"Kingsley is an old friend and I could not refuse. But—do not make me regret my decision, Mr Potter. There will be no special treatment in my classroom, regardless of past achievements."

Harry drew in a quick breath. He needed to respond and quickly, to say the right thing, so this professor that didn't even know him yet, wouldn't think he was an utter idiot. The last thing he needed was another Snape in his life.

"Yes, sir," he said, his voice firm but kind. "Thank you for the opportunity. I will not let you down."

"I don't give second chances, Potter. And I do not repeat my lessons. I expect you to catch up on your own."

Harry nodded.

"Excellent." Professor Edwards spun around and walked toward the blackboard. "Let's start today's lesson on blood typing. Everyone will stay an extra ten minutes to make up for the time we have wasted."

A soft murmur filled the room.

"I hope no one has a problem with that?"

"No, sir," the students grumbled weakly.

"Excellent," Professor Edwards repeated, the same crooked smile spread on his thin lips. "Now, who can tell me how blood types and magical levels are related?"

**: : :**

Harry had not heard a single word of Professor Edwards' lecture on blood types. He had attempted to take notes but his hand was shaking and his stomach was still all in muddle. The professor had called him out in front of the entire class. He told the class that Harry didn't deserve to be there and had only been accepted because of his connections. Because of Kinglsey. If they hadn't resented him before, Harry was certain that they would now. Getting accepted into Healer School was not an easy task. Each applicant needed a certain number of OWLs, glowing recommendations, and relevant work experience.

According to Hermione, Harry _did_ have the adequate OWLs for the programme but _not_ the work experience. All his work experience was relevant to the Auror corps, and even then, he had done very little fieldwork and never any medical training. Perhaps this had been a mistake. Harry had been interested in healing since the war, but he hadn't actually prepared for this, not like the other students, who were now glaring at him.

When he first entered the classroom, he knew that at least some of the whispers about him had been positive. Now, he felt like he was back in fifth year with everyone talking about him and all of it negative. If the glares that the two blokes sitting on either side of him were any indication of how the class felt about its newest student, then Harry would not be joining any study groups any time soon.

He sighed and looked down at his jumbled mess of notes, which he didn't understand. Perhaps that was the professor's intention with his little speech, to get the rest of the class to turn against him too, so he wouldn't be able to catch up.

_Rh proteins, + / - groups, alleles and blood types_.

In theory, Harry understood that everyone had a different blood type, but he hadn't imagined that it would be so complicated. He figured there were only the groups A, B, AB, and one more he couldn't remember. What was all this nonsense about alleles and positive and negative proteins? How and why were they related to the magical levels of the witch or wizard? And what about the magic levels? Were they innate or inherited from the parents?

So many questions ran through Harry's mind. He had thought that he was prepared—that it would be one of his easier modules. He had even read the first chapter of the textbook, which he had never done before in his life. Merlin's saggy tits. He was fucked. He needed help. And it didn't look like he would be sleeping any time soon.

The thought of all the readings that Harry had missed for this one subject — 10 bloody chapters — made him dizzy. How would he ever catch up from being 10 chapters behind? And what about his other modules? His palms were sweating so profusely that he could barely hold his quill without dropping it.

Edwards' deep voice echoed through the room, but to Harry, it sounded as if he were lecturing in another language. The little bit he had understood had fallen apart once the professor stopped lecturing and went straight into problems with theoretical applications.

Maths? Harry hadn't done maths since he was a child. At Hogwarts, he had avoided Arithmancy once he found it involved maths and problem solving. Why hadn't anyone told him that Healer training would involve Maths? That detail should bloody well be in the syllabus!

He bowed his head and took a deep breath.

It would do him no good to lose control. Going barmy on the first day, in his very first lesson, would only prove Healer Edwards right. Harry wanted nothing more than to prove the old bastard wrong. He thought that he was an easy person to get along with; he was easy going and friendly. It was rare that he didn't get along with someone, but Professor Edwards had rubbed him the wrong way. He hadn't disliked someone this much on first contact since Snape. And that was not a good thing. Then again, Snape had turned out to be a good bloke, a traitorous voice reminded him in the back of his mind.

Somehow, he didn't see that happening with Edwards. He had that self-important look about him that screamed arsehole. There was no doubt in his mind which house Edwards had belonged to at Hogwarts. Snakes stood out and Harry was no longer afraid of them. He picked up his head and decided to listen more carefully and try to follow along.

Professor Edwards asked a question about alleles, which Harry still didn't exactly understand as he had never heard the term. But then, an all too familiar voice filled his ears. He would know that cold and lazy drawl anywhere.

Malfoy.

Harry spun his head around, and sure enough, Draco Malfoy was sitting in the back corner of the room. He answered the question in his lazy dismissive drawl as if it were the most obvious answer and the rest of the students were clueless idiots. In Harry's case, it might have been the slightest bit true, but he was certain from the glowers that were directed his way that the rest of the class did not hold warm and fuzzy feelings toward Malfoy either.

What was Malfoy doing here? Harry had not heard from Malfoy in years. It was as if he had fallen off the planet, but then all of a sudden there he was again. Just as blond and annoying as ever. Merlin's beard, he had the worst luck in the world. He had already suffered through six years of Potions lessons with Malfoy. The last thing he wanted was for Malfoy to see him struggle in Healer Training.

Harry hadn't paid attention to Malfoy's answer. He had been far too shocked at his presence to listen. Whatever he said was correct because Healer Edwards nodded his head and gave him a grim smile.

"Very good." He gritted his teeth. "At _least someone_ has been paying attention."

The rest of the two-hour lecture flew by. Harry had lost track of the topic and hadn't been able to solve a single one of the problems, but it was only because he was behind and the problems were complicated. It had nothing to do with Malfoy's presence, which had unnerved him. He did not spend the rest of the lecture sneaking looks at Malfoy and trying to read his expression.

There was something odd about Malfoy. In many ways, he was still the same old Malfoy, same white-blond hair, even if it was longer and tied behind his neck, same annoying pointy face. Still, something about him was different. Harry couldn't put his finger on it, but his bored expression didn't quite make sense. He pretended to be bored out of his mind, muttering answers under his breath and scowling fiercely into his parchment. Yet, he scribbled furiously and took extensive notes.

The two other times he answered questions, he responded in that same bored tone, but Harry turned around to look at him and noticed a glimmer in his eyes. His answer had sounded flat, but the passion in those clear grey eyes was unmistakable. Harry had never seen that look in Malfoy's eyes. It disconcerted him. And even worse, he wanted to see it again.

He had an urge to speak with Malfoy, to ask him how he knew all the answers? What in the hell was wrong with him? He was already cracking under the pressure. Malfoy had always found a way to get under Harry's skin. Their last meeting had been civil. Maybe it would be best not to dredge up the past. After locking eyes with him briefly, he turned back to his notes. He didn't look up for the rest of the lesson.

By the time he packed up his things to leave, his curiosity was too high. It wouldn't hurt to take one more look at Malfoy, to nod politely and acknowledge his presence. They were adults now and hadn't hated each other in years. But when Harry stood to leave, Malfoy was already gone.

Harry pretended that he wasn't disappointed.

**To be continued…**

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**A/N:** Thank you for reading! If anyone has any questions, let me know. I plan on updating once a week, probably on the weekend or Monday. If anyone has a preference for the day that I update, send me a PM. Otherwise, it'll be one of those days. Also, answer my poll about what fic I should update next.

Have a great week!

~Icicle

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**News about Icicle's other new/current fics:**

1. **Truly Loyal **(lucius/james) is being updated today as well. I still haven't gotten any readers for that one, but I'm still hopeful that I will.

2. **Kiss Me at Midnight** (Harry/Draco) Smutty one-shot that is complete and recently posted.

3. **First Day of the Rest of Your Life**- Kurt/Blaine (Glee fic) Second Season AU. The first chapter will be posted tomorrow.

4. (Reader's choice) Answer my poll or tell me in your review about what you would like to see me update next besides Truly Loyal and For Love of a Family.

**a. New chapter of You Set Fire to the Rain (h/d)**

**b. Epilogue of Without You (h/d)**

**c. Smutty Alternate ending of Secret Life of Draco Malfoy (h/d)**

**d. New chapter of I'm Not Over You (Glee fic-Santana/Brittany)**

**e. New chapter of Father Dearest (D/Hr)**

**f. New H/D story with Ron and Draco as Auror partners and Harry being jealous **

**g. other (please leave choice in a comment or pm)**


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